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Spanish Interrail Seat Reservation Debacle

C

My partner and I have had to cancel a Spanish Interrail trip and rebook other European destinations, due to the dishonesty of EU Rail. Booking seat reservations in Spain is ridiculously complicated (you either have to be in the country at a specific station, or try to navigate the phone system to order a paper ticket ).
Also, we calculated that seat reservations for a first class pass are extremely expensive -almost equivalent to buying news passes each! And the fact that many RENFE staff apparently DON’T recognise the EUrail mobile pass is worrying.

WHY are RENFE even still part of EU Rail, when you can’t book seat reservations by email and they are disinterested in EURail customers?

What is the point in using a fist class EU rail pass, where seat reservations are an added, extra financial cost?

We are extremely unhappy, as we were looking forward to visiting Spain, but the apathy of EURail and RENFE have crushed this dream.

Pinned reply

May 1, 2022

Yes unfortunately RENFE is very costumer unfriendly towards Interrail users (EU Rail does not exist, if you mean Eurail, this Pass is for non-European people, UK is in Europe (the continent) and needs Interrail.) 

I highly recommend before buying a pass to read the Information about the trains in the country you want to visit on interrail.eu. The terms of use on the trains are given by the company that run the trains and not from Interrail/Eurail, also there are now some problems to provide online reservations for Spanish trains. 

About the first class, the main vantage, is to have more legroom or extra services, but not free reservations. If you want or need a reservation you have to pay, this is the same for 1st and 2nd class. Reservations are free on most trains at the station in Great Britain for trains there. But in all other countries you have to pay. Some places like Germany, Czech Republic, Austria or Switzerland have only a optional reservation, others you need a reservation almost only on high speed trains and in some countries also on long distance trains. 

4 replies

Angelo
Railmaster
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  • Angelo
  • Railmaster
  • 2067 replies
  • May 1, 2022
Pinned reply

Yes unfortunately RENFE is very costumer unfriendly towards Interrail users (EU Rail does not exist, if you mean Eurail, this Pass is for non-European people, UK is in Europe (the continent) and needs Interrail.) 

I highly recommend before buying a pass to read the Information about the trains in the country you want to visit on interrail.eu. The terms of use on the trains are given by the company that run the trains and not from Interrail/Eurail, also there are now some problems to provide online reservations for Spanish trains. 

About the first class, the main vantage, is to have more legroom or extra services, but not free reservations. If you want or need a reservation you have to pay, this is the same for 1st and 2nd class. Reservations are free on most trains at the station in Great Britain for trains there. But in all other countries you have to pay. Some places like Germany, Czech Republic, Austria or Switzerland have only a optional reservation, others you need a reservation almost only on high speed trains and in some countries also on long distance trains. 

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
M
Full steam ahead
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  • mcadv
  • Full steam ahead
  • 3893 replies
  • May 2, 2022

Thats the joy of travel. Other countries-other customs. And yes-these will be different from what you are used to on that funny island in the North Sea. There will also be NO extra food, free drinks or lounges for 1st over there. All these burocratic oversized state railways have their own rules and stick to it.

Yimbie
  • Yimbie
  • Right on track
  • 3 replies
  • May 2, 2022

The poster mentioned that train operators in Spain do not recognize the Eurail mobile pass. Is that actually true? I am planning to buy tickets at train stations while I am there with my Eurail mobile pass for travel around Spain. 

R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • 10502 replies
  • May 2, 2022
Yimbie wrote:

The poster mentioned that train operators in Spain do not recognize the Eurail mobile pass. Is that actually true?

I've never had any problems to buy a reservation for Interrail in Spain. Eurail is very much the same pass, only that it's for people from outside Europe.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.

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